We have conversations about food all the time in my house. It usually revolves around what we want to eat, or are currently eating and often highlights favourite flavours and bites. While we talk to our kids, and have for years, about the importance of healthy decision making when it comes to what we eat, we are also a family who loves sweets, treats and sometimes not-great-for-you foods.

The key, I feel, as a parent, is to share with our kids, openly and honestly, information about the food we eat. If something is high in sugar, we will explain that. We may not ban it, but will talk about why it’s not the best pre-dinner snack, or even daily treat. While it’s no secret in our home that mommy loves donuts, the kids know that they aren’t replacing my fruits and vegetables, that I continue to eat balanced meals, and that I shouldn’t feel guilt indulging from time to time.

Positive food messaging isn’t always easy and find ways to relay the message of healthy eating, to young children, can be rather difficult at times. While we have always been open about choices, and work to provide them with plenty of healthy options, when left to choose on their own, the kids fall into the same trap I personally do at times – the quicker, sweeter treat. However, when we sit for meals, or when they ask for a bowl of cherries or slices of cheese for an after school snack, I like to think that our messaging is working and we continue to encourage them.

We talk a lot about beverages that fill us up in a not-wonderful way. That juice isn’t a necessity, and that drinking more water is a must. The kids now ask for water more often than they ever have (my son prefers ‘bubbly’ water, while my daughter likes it flat. Before love it ice cold). These are all steps in the right direction. However, as parents, we aren’t the only source of information for them anymore. They see what other kids are eating, what television commercials recommend they should eat, and what their favourite sports star is marketing.

What happens when we are in the grocery aisle and they see a cartoon character adorning a box of cookies or cereal? I think the same thing that happens when I see a character I love on something – I want to buy it. For kids, it indicates something fun, familiar and they want it. Marketing works this way, it’s meant to appeal to our emotional connection to something fun, exciting or that we love. It’s hard for kids to understand that the goal is to sell the product, not necessarily provide them with the best option.

But for kids, of course they want it. They see commercials selling something to them all the time. My son can rhyme off a lot of fast food tag lines thanks to his watching sports highlights. When they watch children’s TV that has commercials, they see plenty of school snacks that they want – and that I wouldn’t want to buy often (if at all).

I don’t believe in preventing the kids from having treats. Again, I think the conversation about what we buy and what we eat has to happen constantly, and that feels like an uphill battle sometimes. We are fighting against marketing efforts that frankly, we ourselves have a hard time ignoring. It’s not a perfect system, and we don’t always make the best choices either, but I really believe that it’s difficult for kids to navigate on their own at times.

This is why I’m happy to see the City of Ottawa is reviewing food marketing to kids and locations where this happens. We all have opinions on the topic. They are asking parents to fill out their survey to get a better idea of what we would like to see happen and what we think is currently happening when it comes to unhealthy food marketing and kids.

Parents, if you have newborns or toddlers, everything feels beyond overwhelming. Trust me. I know. Because I’ve been there. There seems to be an endless need for something – attention, physical contact, learning – it’s all part of what we signed on for as parents. However, the difficult moments, when they are yelling at the top of their lungs or lying on the ground refusing to move out the front door, seem like they will never end.

I’m here to tell you that they do, and I also want you to know that it changes.

Now, as my children are 8 and 10, we’ve entered a new stage of parenting. Every age and stage has brought moments of pure joy and happiness, as every stage also brings stress, guilt and fear (this age is no different), but our pre-teen, post-preschool age that we are in right now is proving pretty amazing.

They are beyond easy to travel with, they are able to communicate (most of the time) what they need, when they are hungry, or if something is bothering them. They are fun people to play with and be around!

Now, this post isn’t one to tell you to slow things down, and appreciate each toddler tantrum or baby wake up in the middle of the night because it’s fleeting. If you are a parent, you already know that a) time becomes something you can’t control at all and it accelerates to a new warp speed you didn’t realize was possible and b) simultaneously, some days feel like they will never, ever end and you will forever be trapped in the most uncomfortable rocking chair with a child pinching your nipple while the toddler demands answers about why their crackers are upside down suddenly. You know about time.

You don’t need a lecture about enjoying the moments because while those tough times are there, for every age, you also know how your heart might burst from your chest at any moment, or that you get teary eyed at the silliest things your kids do. I know you know this. If you want to hear that there is something beyond the toddler tantrums, I will happily reassure you that there is (um, I’ll just gloss over how I think age 4 is the toughest ever, okay?)

Set aside the need and desire for time to slow down or for the tough moments to pass quicker. This post is to tell you that even as my kids gain more independence, even as I grow prouder and happier with the people they are becoming each and every day, even as they pour their own cereal before bed and complete their morning school routine without any intervention from me, I’m here to tell you they will still need you. And that’s what I want you to think about in the tough moments with the newborns and toddlers. Because the thought of them not needing us can be far too overwhelming.

Last night my 8 year old crawled into the bed with me. I didn’t even wake. And in the morning, after I allowed us to sleep in as late as we possibly could she snuggled in tighter and wanted just a few more moments in my arms. She’s perfectly able to get out of the bed and get ready for school herself, but in those early morning moments, she just needed me.

My 10 year old has more freedom to make decisions on his own now and is given space and opportunity to do so. But he’s still the one giving me a hug when he says goodbye in the school yard. He still wants to chat about our recent adventure and spend time recapping every moment while planning for the next. He still needs me.

Those are the moments we will remember as parents. In every stage, even as they grow and their need for us changes on a daily basis, but I’ve also come to realize that just like us, they want an extra long hug sometimes. I know they do. They will push away in their own subtle ways while they are growing but they still need us.

Those moments, the tough ones, feel long. They do even now when we deal with random angry outbursts or hurt feelings or the usual parental disciplinary decisions that are ‘completely unfair’ and that ‘ruin their lives’ somehow.

But that doesn’t change how we all feel about each other. They still need us. They probably always will in some way or another, we just need to be there for them. And really, when we are in those rocking chairs in the middle of the night with a newborn on us, that’s the same message and need as it is now.

It’s right off the highway in Orleans and is offering a variety of exciting, creative summer camps. If you haven’t been to Shenkman Arts Centre for an event, performance or activity, it’s really a must-see facility. I love the open space, the theatre options and art that is constantly on display. Both my kids enjoy browsing the halls at Shenkman Arts Centre, looking at the exhibits or attending a show.

This summer, if you are still considering summer camp options for your children, you’ll want to check out the amazing offerings at Shenkman.

Why consider camp at Shenkman Arts Centre?

I know many camps across the city offer sports and swimming and a lot of running around which is wonderful for our kids. However, I’m a huge fan at the thought of introducing creative, imaginative and hands-on skills as well and I think that theatre, creative arts and being a ‘maker’ is so important for many kids. I know that both of my kids would love a variety of these camps (and even though we haven’t done camp because of travel, I’m thinking this year might be time to give them a try!)

What kind of camps do they offer?

Below is a sample of their summer camp line up. All of them can be found on their summer camp registration page. Many of these programs are also offered in partnership with other organizations like the Orleans Young Players Theatre School and the Ottawa School of Art. This is just another example of the richness and quality of content that families can enjoy!

Musical Theatre (ages 8-11)

Dance and Pottery (ages 6-8 and 9-12)

Feature Film Making (ages ages 9-14)

Building an art porfolio (ages 13-15)

Art inspired by the outdoors (ages 6-8)

The art of photography (ages 13-15)

Pottery half day ( ages7-12)

Pottery wheel half day (ages 12+)

I selected just a handful that sound amazing and included a variety of ages, but really, I could have listed all of them – there are so many creative, interesting choices. I know many kids who would love to go to camp to learn how to record a music video or stand on stage and become actors. Browse the entire selection to find the right fit for your child. Camps are for kids aged 6 and older and I love that there is so much selection for teens as well.

If you are thinking about signing up for Summer Camp at Shenkman Arts Centre, registration is now open. Sign up early to ensure the camp your child wants is still available. This summer, let your child’s creativity shine at Shenkman Arts Centre!

Do your kids have special ways of saying certain words? Even as my kids have gotten older, there are still a few sayings of theirs that remain unique, like they have their own language. Especially when they are speaking to each other.

When the kids were first learning how to talk, and were toddlers, they had certain ways of saying words. Here are a few:

Lone = phone
Mummin = Muffin
Ot = off
Hat = Have

I wrote those down so that I wouldn’t forget. At the time, I told myself there was no way to forget their cute words. Now, I know there were so many others! Some words, like earmuffins (for ear muffs) still make me laugh.

Those are the memories that sometimes fade; the little mannerisms of the sweet voiced toddler. They have long been replaced with a confident, older voice that my older kids now have. But those wee voices still remain in the back of my mind, yet, they seem a bit foggy now. Has it really been that long since I’ve had a toddler? (The answer is yes, my youngest turns 8 soon!)

Looking back on those toddler years, these unique words, that are cute and sweet, are cherished memories.

Does your child have a special way of saying something? My recommendation is to write it down so you don’t forget!

We are always trying to find our balance. Balance is kind of a word that we use a lot – as parents, we are either always in search of balance, or struggling to maintain what we see as our balance. I personally don’t think balance can exist all the time, but instead, we discover ways to incorporate moments of balance in our lives.

I think parents are always in a state of balance searching. How do we work and ensure our kids are getting the best of our time? How do we stay at home with the kids but still find other passions that fulfill us? How do I balance being a parent and a partner to my spouse?

To me, finding balance isn’t about the day or weeks taken as a whole. They are about those few moments taken each and every day, where we can find some peace, calm and isolate a way to reconnect with our own selves.

It took me years to give myself permission to take time for myself. I had all the support in the world from family, friends and especially my husband when the kids first came along, and yet, convincing myself that it was perfectly okay (and at times crucial) to enjoy a few moments alone was difficult.

Fast forward to now and I have no problem enjoying those moments. I have recognized over the years just how essential they are for my own well-being. I find a hot bubble bath or cuddling up with a good book very rewarding. And my balance doesn’t always mean I want to fly solo. Sometimes the balance is about less work or screen time for me, and more time outside with the kids. Or maybe it’s about Andy and I sitting on the couch and recapping our week together as a couple. Balance isn’t one-size-fits all. We each create our own.

One of my favourite ways to find those couple of minutes to myself is with a cup of tea. Andy was the one who was the tea drinker first, but it’s a ritual I have completely gotten on board with. In the afternoon or evening especially, I love sitting down with a hot cup of tea and just pausing. Sometimes I fall into old habits and bring the mug to my computer to get more work done, but on days when I am really present, and aware that I need a mental break, I pour a steaming cup and just sit. It takes barely two minutes to wait for the water to boil, get my cup ready and head to the couch.

I have really been enjoying these new Tetley Ayurvedic Balance Teas – each one has been carefully and expertly created with balance in mind.

Here’s some info from Tetley:

“Tetley Ayurvedic Balance teas were inspired by Ayurveda, a 5,000 year old system of knowledge, which teaches that balancing of the mind, body and spirit is essential for holistic well-being. Working with Ayurvedic experts, our blends were lovingly crafted to address the needs for balance at all stages of our lives.”

What are the different teas, and how have I been enjoying them?

Poise-Vata is a calming tea for when you are worried or feeling scattered (guess which one I’ve been drinking the most of lately!).

Cool-Pitta is meant to help cool you if you are feeling overheated (spoiler alert: there’s definitely a certain time during the month when I think this will help me!)

Vigour-Kapha is to help when you are feeling sluggish. (As I write this post, I am enjoying a cup of Vigour-Kapha because I stayed up late reading last night! See, this is how I balance!)

It’s not always easy, especially this time of year, to discover our balance and to hold onto it; to make sure that we are feeling well-rounded, in our activities and in our spirit. However, once we find it, only for a few moments, it’s a rewarding feeling.

For more information about the teas and their ingredients visit the Tetley website.

Thanks to Tetley, you have a chance to win a wonderful tea package – perfect to help find your moments of balance, or to gift to someone you know will love it.

The gift is for a selection of Tetley teas, including Tetley Ayurvedic Balance Teas and a tea bodem (value is approx. $45!)

To enter, simply comment below and tell me how you find your moments of balance.

Giveaway is open to Canadian residents of legal age, void in QC. One entry per person. Giveaway is open until December 6, 5 pm EST. One winner will be drawn at random from eligible entries. Winner’s name and address will be provided to a third party to facilitate mailing of the prize.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Tetley but all opinions are my own. Tea is a great way to find my balance!

As an adult, I find myself learning from my children all the time. The children in our lives teach us daily how to look at every minute with joy. They teach us to hold onto those moments that are fleeting and live within them, not past them. I love reliving my own youthful exuberance and discovering a new love for life thanks to the magic of childhood.

One of the most important lessons I’m learning now that I am in my thirties is thanks to my 6 year old. She’s teaching me about confidence. And while that may seem like it should be reversed, it’s true. It’s bizarre that I can’t remember a time when I truly felt confident. Was it when I was 6? I think I was fairly precocious and held my own back then. When did that confidence start to wane? In my pre-teen years maybe? Likely.

It’s always been something that I’ve had to work on, and yet, as I get older, I am finding a renewed sense of confidence thanks to my daughter. She is a kind soul mixed together with a spit-fire approach to life. She doesn’t ask if the water is cold before she goes in, she just jumps. She doesn’t ask permission to be herself, she just is. And I admire that.

When you offer her a compliment she has a fairly standard response most of the time. It doesn’t matter if you are telling her how hard she worked on something, how clever she is, how you love her fashion choices in her outfit, she typically responds with two words that many of us would never imagine uttering: I know.

Think about that. We would say ‘you did such a great job!’ and she responds ‘I know.’ Just like that. No hesitation.

Sure, sometimes she’ll say thank you, or coyly turn away, but most of the time she is steadfast in her belief that of course what she did was wonderful. She knows she put the work in and she’s confidence enough to not feel bad for that.

Don’t you wish we felt like that sometimes? For many of us, if we admit that we believe we are amazing at something, it could be seen as bragging. We downplay our accomplishments. Confidence to some comes across as boasting, which has been frowned upon. We take compliments and turn them around or disagree. I try to at least say thank you to a compliment, but how many times do I then qualify it somehow. “Oh, thank you for noticing that work I did, but…” Why would I add the ‘but’?”But, if I had more time it would have been better.” Or “but, it really is just a cruddy old shirt I put on.”

So, I am learning from my 6 year old that it’s okay to admit that I know I’ve done something well. Two simple words that seem to be so hard to say, and yet, my 6 year old has no problem doing so. She knows how she feels about herself. Why can’t we feel the same way as we get older?

We are fiercely protective of this confidence that she has. I hope she never loses it. It’s part of what makes her so special. It’s truly a quality to be admired. We try to communicate that she’s not defined by any one thing in life – her choices, her actions, her looks – that she can be who she wants to be.

Has your family started a summer countdown? For those of you who know me, I am always excited this time of year. We are inching our way closer to summer holidays and I love that. My son has a countdown in his room and talks about it every day. June is always a busy month at school (mostly with field trips and fun) so they love that, we have Spring sports in the evenings, activities on the weekend and work always is busy in June for both Andy and I.

Ah yes, work. When you are a work-at-home parent, summer holidays look a little differently. During the year, I don’t work full time, I keep my hours low to ensure I have time for school volunteering and random house stuff, but it doesn’t mean that the summer won’t be a balance of deadlines and park visits.

In my case, I am lucky because Andy takes the summer off which means when I have a meeting, I don’t have to arrange child care (although my parents are fantastic to help out.) But it still means I’m trying to get work done so that I can take off on holidays or have some fun with everyone.

Each summer, I have more clients and more hours of work to do as the kids get older. Here are some tips for fellow work-at-home parents who will be balancing kids and work.

1- Start planning now

It’s really not that far away. It’s time to start thinking about how your summer hours are affected. In my case, I also work with a lot of work-at-home parents, so I need to find out what their plans are for the summer too. The planning has already begun. Don’t wait!

In addition, now is the time to start setting expectations for everyone. Chat with clients or partners about what your summer hours look like, update your business website with closures or ‘no ship’ dates if applicable, and get everyone ready for July and August.

2- Determine your child care needs

Do you need to sign the kids up for camp? Which weeks? Will your partner be home at all? Do you have back up people to call when a last minute meeting or request comes up? Look at the entire summer plan.

3- Mark your Calendars

Look at your family and work calendar from June 1 until the beginning of school and start marking dates into both. Yes, that entire time. Make sure that you mark days off from your work calendar when you know you will be away, or the kids have an event. In my case, I’m already blocking dates for June field trips, moving meetings around, pushing some into July when I know child care is easier, and so on.

I also do this with client holidays.

4- Use those calendars to set deadlines

If you are travelling on August 1, you don’t want to leave something until July 31. Set some deadline dates for yourself, and mark them on your calendar. When a client requests something, or a blogging opportunity comes up, you’ll be able to see if you can accommodate it, not only based on your holiday schedule, but also your deadline schedule.

5- Create a plan

If you don’t already use an editorial calendar (or a project plan), now is the time to start. I use excel and mark off ideas, dates, links, client work, deadlines etc. so that each day I can see what’s coming up.

6- Block work time during the day

My best work time is the morning. From about 7-9 I get as much as I can done and the kids know I’m working. The kids are happy to have free time, and by about 9:30 we have plans to head out to a park or play date. When they are in school, I have the lunch hour/early afternoon to get things done, but in the summer I tend to shift this to a later afternoon time because I’m often out or busy. Know when your kids have their best time and work with that too.

7- Some days, it’s not going to be all fun and games

Deadline days may mean that the kids are going to have to step away from any Camp Home agenda for a bit and figure out their own fun (which, for the most part, is highly encouraged anyway, right?) I don’t feel guilty if I have to duck my head at the laptop and get it done one day, especially when we spend the summer doing a lot of fun things together.

8- Don’t miss out

Reduce your hours in the summer if you need to, or shift your work time, but don’t miss out if you want to take the kids to the museum or play a board game on a hot afternoon. Have fun, even in the chaos.

What are your tips for working at home while the kids are around? Share them below!

We celebrated Mother’s Day in our usual (wonderful) fashion yesterday. I slept in, was spoiled with food, gifts, hugs and kisses, took a mini drive to Wakfield, a favourite destination of mine, and we spent dinner with my family at my parent’s house. Plus, it ended with Game of Thrones. All in all, I got to do almost all of my favourite things.

I’m not sure why, but I was feeling rather insightful and reflective and spent part of the drive to Wakefield thinking about how fortunate I am to not only be a mother, but be surrounded by a tribe of other moms who are inspiring, helpful, kind and loving.

My kids may call me mom, but there are many women in their lives who mother them. Their grandmothers, aunts, friends of the family – all of these women hold my children in their hearts. They help teach them about life, about having fun, about being silly, about work ethic, about the importance of family – lessons that I want them to learn, and try to teach them, but are made more rich thanks to the insight of others.

I have women who are my friends who genuinely care about the well being of our children. They ask about them when they are sick, they offer assistance when I have parenting questions, they take my kids into their homes and offer a safe, welcoming place to be themselves.

The women in our families are the same. My kids can learn from us, but what they learn from our extended family is priceless. I rely on those women, my family, to help me as a mother and the generosity they show my kids can’t be replaced. It’s more than just familial requirement; it’s love.

It’s in these moments that I feel grateful. Grateful for the people we are surrounded with and for all they do for us as a family.

Mother’s Day was definitely special for me as a mom, but also opened my eyes to those women around me who matter in our lives each day. To them I say thank you.

The big news (well, in my little geeky world) last week was the release of old school games that many of us played as kids online.

We’re talking Oregon Trail, Castle Wolfenstein (uggg those dogs!!), and Where in the World is Carmen San Diego, just to name a few. You can visit this website to kill a few hours reliving your childhood.

I introduced the kids to Oregon Trail and Carmen San Diego that same day after school. I explained to them the significance of these games.

“You see kids,” I began “when I was a kid, I was obsessed with some video games too. Like you are about Minecraft. You already know how much I love Mario, but here area few games that were equally addictive.”

As I felt giddy loading up the games, I realized that every time I nag the kids to get off the screens, I was once like them. Sure, we didn’t have the graphics and the YouTube channel tutorials to go along with our games, but didn’t we want to play them all the time too?

At school, on our old track-ball computers, we had Oregon Trail. We had a rotating computer schedule to play the game, but sometimes, as a reward for finishing work early or good behaviour, we scored extra time on the game. I need to remind myself how it felt to play such a basic (but amazing) game back then. My own kids likely feel the same when they turn on their favourites.

Back to my kids’ education about these games. Carmen San Diego is a lot easier to play as an adult. At least, as an adult with some world knowledge about where certain animals live and what colours are on country flags. Take that game! I totally rule you now. The kids (especially my history/world-loving son) were enthralled with this. But wait a meaning, are we learning something along the way? Games can be educational?! What?!

Then it was on to Oregon Trail. The kids mostly wanted to keep pressing space bar to continue on our journey without breaks, but I convinced them, once well stocked on food, that we also needed to rest.

One of our characters names was Tommy.

He got dysentery, of course.

This made my daughter sad. Then we tried to cross the river. Tommy drowned. This made her really sad! Yikes. Poor Tommy, we barely knew ye.

My son has added these games to his ‘games folder’ on the computer. It’s hilarious watching them play games that kept my attention for so long when I was about their age.

Have you checked out these games? Did they give you the same sense of nostalgia that I felt?

I get a mix of reactions when I tell people that Andy and I haven’t left the kids overnight. Ever.

We’ve each been away overnight, on separate occasions but have left them with the other parent so that’s not really the same. But we haven’t left them overnight with family (or anyone) while we go away.

There’s a mix of reasons I suppose. Primarily, when we travel, we take them with us and enjoy that. There hasn’t been a reason to leave them. Sure, we could have planned a trip just the two of us, and we do look forward to that one day, but we weren’t ready for that.

Yes, WE weren’t ready. My kids have been babysat by family for extended periods of time and love it. Their sleep is fairly consistent with us, even if whoever watches them has to be prepared that they may be snuggling in the night with two kiddos that will be up by 6 am. They wouldn’t be scared, or sad. We know they’d have fun and trust family that they would stay with to no end.

But more importantly, we never wanted to leave them. It’s been a choice. And leaving for the sake of going away overnight and not enjoying ourselves fully is not worth it. We just didn’t feel the pressure to and our own anxieties wouldn’t have made an over night trip enjoyable.

Now don’t get me wrong. We enjoy alone time and date night frequently thanks to our babysitters. And I really believe in the importance of this. We’ve also mastered date night at home and never feel we are ‘missing out’ on something. We are happy to travel with them and find our alone time on dates close to home.

We are about to turn a corner. My kids are 3.5 and 5.5 so our level of interest in possibly doing over night trips is growing. Next year, we have a family wedding out of town and the kids will be staying with Andy’s family. They are beyond excited at the thought, and we are feeling kind of excited too.

My point in all of this? I understand the looks of shock and snickers when you tell people you don’t want to leave baby/child overnight yet. You aren’t making some crazy decision or being a helicopter parent. You are making the decision that is best for you and your spouse (and kids) at the time. And that’s ok. Some parents enjoy vacations alone early in their parenting career. That’s ok too. But make sure you are doing it for you and not because others tell you that you should.

And I should note that yes, I know how wonderful alone time would be. How sleeping in would be a dream. How long walks and dinners out would be fantastic. I know all of that. I look forward to all of that, but my choice has still been not to do it – yet.

I know that when we are comfortable leaving them overnight that it will be on our terms. And all of us will have a great time.

Welcome to A Little Bit of Momsense! My name is Rebecca and I'm chatting about parenting, family friendly activities, yummy recipes, family travel, and living a life full of love and laughter. Thanks for stopping by!